There has been a 21.6 per cent increase in the number of cases of diabetes among Bahrain’s adult population, a new survey has revealed.
According to the latest study, 18 per cent of people aged above 20 years had diabetes in 2018, compared to 14.8pc in 2007.
The results of the National Health Survey 2018 will be made public next year, according to Health Ministry primary care central diabetic clinics (CDC) co-ordinator Dr Abeer Al Saweer.
“The results of the survey, which will be announced probably by the middle of next year, will show that the prevalence of diabetes has increased in the adult population from 14.8pc in 2008 to 18pc in 2018,” she told the GDN.
“This is the figure for the adult population, of 20 years and above; we are not talking of the highly prevalent age group of 50 to 60 years and above.
“The prevalence will definitely be much higher in the latter age group, we will know by how much once the survey results are published.
“This is the first time we are doing a survey after 2007.”
Dr Al Saweer was speaking to the GDN on the sidelines of a workshop organised by the ministry for doctors and nurses who man the CDCs in health centres across the country.
She, however, noted that the rise in diabetes cases was not unique to Bahrain.
“Diabetes is an epidemic that is taking over the world; in the US the prevalence has increased from six to 10pc,” she said.
“So, the increase is not unique to Bahrain, but what is unique about us is the small population and we need to be managing our resources well.”
Diabetes has long been a major concern in the Gulf due to changing lifestyle habits, with people exercising less, following unhealthy diets and refusing to kick their tobacco addiction.
The measures taken by the ministry to tackle diabetes include boosting the primary care sector, employing specialist doctors and nurses and introducing retina clinics in each governorate to prevent blindness.
“We are now working on dialysis which is a major consumer of the ministries financial resources.”
She pointed out that diabetes could lead to blindness, or kidney issues.
The GDN earlier reported that a fifth of diabetes patients in Bahrain are at risk of going blind from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can seriously damage eyesight.
Meanwhile, assistant under-secretary for primary health care Dr Manal Al Alawi said the number of referrals of diabetic patients to secondary care have dropped after CDCs were introduced at the health centres.
The workshop coincided with the World Diabetes Day which is marked on November 14.
Bahrain is one of 10 countries in the region with the highest incidence of overweight children and young adults.
According to International Diabetes Federation there were 165,300 cases of diabetes in Bahrain in 2017.
It also recorded 425 million with diabetes in the world of which more than 39m people in the Middle East and North Africa region, a number that is predicted to rise to 67m by 2045.
In a message to mark the day, UN Secretary General António Guterres voiced his support for all individuals living with diabetes, and reaffirming UN’s commitment to fight for their needs and well-being on its path towards ‘health for all’.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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